Bundesliga , along with the top four finishers of the 3. Liga are automatically qualified for the tournament.

Of the remaining slots 21 are given to the cup winners of the regional football associations, the Verbandspokale.

They may assign the slot as they see fit but usually give it to the runner-up in the association cup. As every team taking part in the German football league system is entitled to participate in local tournaments which qualify for the association cups, every team can in principle compete in the DFB-Pokal.

Reserve teams like Borussia Dortmund II are not permitted to enter. For the first round, the 64 teams are split into two pots of One pot contains the 18 teams from the previous season of the Bundesliga and the top 14 teams from the previous season of the 2.

The other pot contains the bottom 4 teams from the previous season of the 2. Bundesliga, the top 4 teams from the previous season of the 3. Liga and the 24 amateur teams that qualified through regional football tournaments.

Teams from one pot are drawn against teams from the other pot. Since , the teams from the pot containing amateur teams play the game at home.

For the second round, the teams are again divided into two pots according to the same principles. Depending on the results of the first round, the pots might not be equal in terms of number.

Teams from one pot are drawn against teams from the other pot until one pot is empty. The remaining teams are then drawn against each other with the team first drawn playing the game at home.

For the remaining rounds, other than the final, the teams are drawn from one pot. Since the final has been held in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

Extra time will be played if the scores are level after 90 minutes with a penalty shootout following if needed. Historically the number of participants in the main tournament has varied between four from until and from through resulting in tournaments of two to seven rounds.

Since the inception of the Bundesliga in all clubs from the Bundesliga are automatically qualified for the DFB-Pokal as are all clubs from the 2.

Bundesliga since its inception in Reserve sides for most of the time were allowed to participate in the DFB-Pokal but have been excluded since The final has been held at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin every season since Before , the host of the final was determined on short notice.

Originally the cup games were held over two 45 minute halves with two 15 minute overtime periods in case of a draw. If the score was still level after minutes the game was replayed with the home field right reversed.

In the Tschammer-Pokal the semi-final between Waldhof Mannheim and Wacker Wien was played to a draw three times before the game was decided by lot.

The German Football Association decided to hold a penalty shootout if the replay was another draw after a similar situation arose in the cup , when the match between Alemannia Aachen and Werder Bremen had to be decided by lot after two draws.

In —72 and —73 , the matches were held over two legs. The second leg was extended by two additional minute overtime periods if the aggregate was a draw after both legs.

In case the extension brought no decision, a penalty shootout was held. In , the final 1. Robin Bormuth replaces Alexander Madlung.

They are ready to continue. Assisted by Michael Gardawski. Christian Gartner replaces Axel Bellinghausen. United States international Jerome Kiesewetter has signed with Fortuna Dusseldorf, the German second-division club announced on Friday.

Mavrias, 21, joined the Black Cats from Panathinaikos in , but has struggled to break into the fist team, making just seven appearances. The midfielder reportedly told a female official that there was no place for women in football after being sent off.

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